Cabinets full of curiosities always seem to come with a blood sacrifice

About a year ago, I stumbled into a cute little bookstore which specialized in mystery, sci-fi, and fantasy of both the new and used variety. I felt it was my solemn duty to have a close look and about an hour later I left with a few (or three) choice items. One of these I already reviewed and today's was actually a signed copy titled The Unfinished World: And Other Stories by Amber Sparks. As the title suggests, this is a collection of short stories that have an eerie, fantastical vibe to them. Some of them are downright disturbing (the taxidermy one in particular stands out) while others are merely just off the beaten path into strangeness. If you like dark, eerie fiction that crosses into the borders of the unknown then this book would be right up your street. If you're looking to delve into short story collections but you're not sure where to start this also might be a good fit for you. As for me, I enjoyed a few of them but overall this wasn't my favorite of the short story collections I've read. (That honor either goes to Through the Woods or The Opposite of Loneliness.) 5/10

Source: Amazon

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Lightning struck twice

I'm not entirely sure why it's taken my so long to read Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. As I mentioned in the post where I reviewed Let's Pretend This Never Happened, I freaking LOVE Jenny Lawson and her writing. I actually picked this book up last year shortly after it came out but as with many things I was distracted and I only now got around to it. I adored it. Her debut novel is much like her blog where it's snippets of stories from her life (which is nothing short of eccentric and bizarre like her which is why I love her so much) mixed in with colorful anecdotes. Furiously Happy is a completely different kettle of fish. There are still tales of her life which are off-the-wall but the main focus of this book is Jenny's struggles with mental and physical illness and how she's decided to view it. Instead of seeing it as a dark cloud that obliterates all the joy from her life she has instead chosen to embrace all of the happy moments in between and LIVE THEM UP. Her joyousness and love of life is felt on every page. It's a fantastic pick me up. She takes the stigma of mental illness and throws it completely out of the window (making sure that it's wearing a funny sombrero on its way out). There's more taxidermy and of course arguments with Victor but the overarching theme is shining rays of light into the darkness of mental illness. I've already gotten one of my co-workers reading it and she said that from the first page she was hooked. That's two ringing endorsements, ya'll! This one is a 10/10 for sure and if you don't read it you'll surely regret it.

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

HUZZAH!

Guess who just finished Let's Pretend This Never Happened?  If you guessed that it was me, you'd be correct. :-)  Although to be fair, that was a pretty easy question.  The harder question is this: Do I go back to Star Trek which frankly I'm not in the mood for at the moment but have already mentioned or do I choose something completely different?  It's a question I can't answer right now because I'm at work and away from my friends books right now.  So I guess I'll be leaving you on the edge of this cliff...

<twisting mustache in a villain-y sort of way>

EDIT: In all of the excitement, I forgot to give my review.  Oops?  Well, clearly I enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys quirky humor.  What do I mean by quirky humor?  Well, the author tends to talk circles around subjects and spends a LOT of time cursing.  I found it easy to move past that as she is SO DARN HILARIOUS.  The chapter about explosive diarrhea might have been my favorite.  So if that sort of thing (and taxidermied animals) isn't your cup of tea, I'd stay away.  However, if you're looking for a read that is so funny you will literally laugh out loud, then this is it.

EDIT PART 2: I know what I'm reading next (because I've already started) and it's Abraham Lincon: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith.  I chose this book for a couple of reasons: 1. Abraham Lincoln.  I have a weird fascination with him. 2. Vampires.  What more needs to be said?  3. It's been turned into a movie by Tim Burton and if you haven't seen the trailer click here.  I am VERY excited.  Hopefully, it won't take me long to get through it and I'll feel like giving Star Trek another whirl. :o)